Birthday Memories
by Diane Klepper
Summary: Tom celebrates his first birthday back on Earth after Voyager returns home.


Birthday Memories By Diane Klepper  
  
(Author's Note: Tom celebrates his first birthday back on Earth.)  
  
Tom Paris opened his eyes and stretched his arms. He noticed that B'Elanna was still sound asleep. He turned to the old fashioned digital clock on the night- stand and smiled at the time. It read 5 am.. He always woke up really early on his birthday. He thought back to his fifth birthday.  
  
Tommy Paris slowly walked into his parents' bedroom and walked over to his father side of the bed. He gently shook his father shoulder and said, "Daddy…is it my birthday yet?"  
  
Owen Paris slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the chronometer he kept by his nightstand and groaned. "Tommy…it's too early … .go back to sleep."  
  
"But Daddy…I'm too excited to sleep."  
  
Owen smiled at his youngest child. "Tommy…. It's still dark out…why don't you go back to your room and play with your shuttles until the sun comes out."  
  
Tommy frowned. "How long will that take?"  
  
Owen held back a small smirk. "In about two hours."  
  
Tommy frowned. "Daddy…will you read me the next chapter of Thirty Thousand Leagues under the Sea later?"  
  
"If you go back to your room right know and play quietly until breakfast time I'll read you two chapters later."  
  
Tommy shouted, "Yeah" and ran to his room.  
  
Owen turned over and saw his wife's Maggie smiling at him. "At least this year he slept to five…last year he was up at four-thirty."  
  
Owen laughed. "Tommy sure does get excited on his birthday…. Kathleen and Moira never got this excited."  
  
"He takes after you my love…he wants everything now…Your mother says you were the same way."  
  
Owen frowned. "Why do I have the feeling I gave him all my bad qualities?"  
  
Maggie laughed. "Owen Paris…you gave Tommy a lot of your good qualities also… He wants to be just like you when he grows up…But Honey don't push him too hard towards Starfleet…He's still only a little boy…let him enjoy growing up before he picks a career."  
  
"I only want the best for Tommy."  
  
"I know that Owen." Maggie yawned. "Let's get some sleep…This afternoon we are going to have twenty five year over…It's going to be a long day."  
  
Tom put on his blue robe and walked out of the bedroom. He walked into Miral's room to take a quick peek at her and smiled when he saw her stirring in her crib. He picked up and smiled at her. "Hello sweetheart…you're up early."  
  
Miral cooed in his arms Tom walked over to the replicator and ordered a bottle. He then took the bottle and walked over to the rocking chair and sat down carefully. Miral grabbed the bottle out of Tom's hand and started drinking her bottle.  
  
Tom laughed. "You're certainly are hungry this morning…You know sweetheart today is Daddy's birthday…but you know a secret …with you and your Mommy in my life I have everything I will ever need…but I know your Mommy has something up her sleeve. Your Mommy has been very secretive all week and she has been talking a lot to your Grandma Maggie."  
  
Miral kept drinking her bottle. Tom kissed Miral on her cheek and said. "Miral Kathryn you're a great listener…. I love talking to you even though I know you don't understand most of the stuff I say…On Voyager whenever I couldn't sleep I use to go to your Uncle Harry's cabin and we use to talk the night away…We got through quite a few bridge shifts on very little sleep…The worst times was when I had a morning shift at sickbay….your Godfather always seemed to know when I had very little sleep….That was when he use to give me medical lectures and I always had trouble keeping my eyes open." Tom gave a little laugh, "The worst part was if he caught me sleeping he would make my take extra shifts so he go to the holo-deck to practice his Opera."  
  
Tom looked down and he noticed that the bottle fell out of Miral mouth and onto her stomach. She was sound asleep. Tom smiled and kissed Miral on her forehead ridge. He picked up the bottle and stood up. He slowly stood up and placed Miral back in her crib.  
  
Tom quietly left his daughter's bedroom and found his wife standing by their bedroom door. Whispering B'Elanna said, "Tom what are you doing up so early…I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed for your birthday."  
  
Tom smiled and gave B'Elanna a gentle kiss on the lips. "I couldn't sleep…I could never sleep late on my birthday…I use to drive my parents crazy getting them up five in the morning."  
  
B'Elanna smiled. "I know…your Mom and sisters told me some stories."  
  
"Stories?"  
  
"Yes….Kathleen and Moira told me they had to threaten you to get you to attend your birthday parties from the time your were ten."  
  
Tom grimaced. "They did….but I bet they didn't tell you the whole story about those parties."  
  
B'Elanna grabbed Tom's right hand and led him to the bedroom. She sat down on their bed and Tom sat down next to her. "Miral won't wake up for a while…Why don't you tell me the whole story?"  
  
Tom smirked. "I can think of better ways to spend the time."  
  
"Not now helmboy…maybe if you good we'll do some celebrating tonight…Now tell me about how your sisters threatened you to make you attend your birthday parties."  
  
Ten- year old Tommy Paris lay on his stomach and read his padd that held the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea on it. Tommy was dressed an old pair of blue pants and a white t-shirt. He heard on a knock on his door and quickly hid the padd under the bed and took out his physics padd that was lying down next to him. He shouted, "Come in."  
  
The door opened Tom's two sisters Kathleen and Moira entered. Kathleen who was the oldest and bossiest of Paris sisters said, "Tommy…Mom sent us up to make sure your were getting dressed."  
  
Moira walked over to the bed and took the padd out of his hand. She read the title and smirked. "Physics…you expect us to believe that you've spent your birthday reading your physics textbook."  
  
Tommy stood up and grabbed the padd from Moira's hand and said, "I thought you were Dad."  
  
Kathleen walked to Tommy's closest and picked out a pair of black dress pants and a button down white shirt. She put the clothes down on the bed. "Get dressed little brother …Mom wants you downstairs in fifteen minutes."  
  
Tommy walked over to his desk and put the physics padd on his desk and then looked at Kathleen defiantly. "I'm not going."  
  
Moira frowned, "Tommy it's your birthday party…you have to go."  
Tommy sighed, "It may be my birthday…but it's Dad's party…None of my friends will be there…The only other kids their will by kids of Dad's Starfleet friends."  
  
Kathleen walked over to Tommy. He just turned ten and he already as tall as he shoulders. She smiled at the thought that in a few years she would have to look up to her little brother. "Tommy we know that….but Mom and Dad went to a lot of trouble to throw you this party…you can a least pretend you are enjoying it."  
  
"But Kat…I hate these parties…All the women there want to squeeze my cheeks and tell my I'm so cute."  
  
Moira who took a seat on Tom's bed said, "But Tommy you are so cute."  
  
Kathleen frowned at her sister. "Moira your not helping….Thomas Eugene Paris…you listen to me and your listen good…You will get dressed and come down to the party or else I'll tell Dad that you that you broke the statue in his study and replicated a replacement.."  
  
Tommy turned to Moira and angrily said, "Moira you promised you wouldn't tell."  
  
"Hey I promised that I wouldn't tell Mom and Dad…I didn't promise I wouldn't tell Kathleen."  
  
Tommy looked at Moira and then turned to Kathleen. "Okay I'll go…but you won't tell Dad about the statue…if he finds out he'll restrict me to the house for a month."  
  
Kathleen smiled. "I promise."  
  
B'Elanna smiled at her husband. "How did you break the statue?"  
  
"I was flying one of my remote control shuttles in the house which was against the rules and I lost control of it and it crashed into this Vulcan statue in my Dad's study…My Mom and Dad were out of the house but Moira came into the study as I replicated a new statue…We made a deal…I. promised I wouldn't tell Mom and Dad she was late for curfew the night before if she promised not to tell them I broke the statue…Of course I didn't make her promise to tell Kathleen." Tom smirked, "That's why they always had something over me…If either one of them caught me doing something wrong…they both knew about it…They told each other everything."  
  
B'Elanna frowned, "I always wished I had a sibling to confide in…maybe my childhood wouldn't of been so lonely."  
  
Tom took B'Elanna right hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm glad I grew up with two big sisters…they may of been bossy and blackmailed into doing what they wanted but I always knew they would be there when I needed them." Tom smiled and said, "Remember when you tried to alter Miral's DNA before she was born."  
  
B'Elanna frowned. "How could I forget…I'm just glad you stopped me…I would of never forgiven myself if I went through with it."  
Tom smiled at his wife. "I meant it when I said I would love to live with three or four Klingons…I want Miral to have siblings to grow up with."  
  
"Me too…but I would like Miral to grow up a little more before we have another one."  
  
"I don't mind wanting a little while." Tom dropped B'Elanna's hand and held her face with both of his hands and gave her a long passionate kiss. "Besides we can have a lot of fun practicing."  
  
B'Elanna smiled and said, "You know the old saying…practice makes perfect." The second kiss was even longer until a loud cry from the other room interrupted them.  
  
Tom smirked. "I guess our celebration has to wait until later…Our little Warrior Princess needs attention."  
  
B'Elanna stood up. "Tom why don't you take a shower now. I'll change Miral and meet you in the kitchen."  
  
Tom smiled. "Okay" and walked into the bathroom.  
  
Forty-five minutes later Tom was dressed in a pair of dark blue pants and a light blue sweatshirt. He walked over to the mirror and combed his still damp hair and then put his hairbrush down on the dresser and headed for the kitchen.  
  
In the kitchen he saw Miral sitting in her high chair playing with a toy shuttle and B'Elanna was on the kitchen. B'Elanna was talking on the comm. and said, "That will be great …we'll see you then. Bye."  
  
Tom said, "Who were you talking to?"  
  
B'Elanna turned to face her husband and said, "That was your father…he's talking you out to lunch today."  
  
"B'Elanna I thought we were going to spend the day together."  
  
B'Elanna walked up to Tom and put her arms his waist and hugged him. "I have some errands to run this afternoon…and I think you and your Dad can use some alone time together."  
  
"You know when Voyager first got lost in the Delta Quadrant and Captain Janeway made me the chief conn officer she told me that I earned my commission and that was she only sorry that my Dad wouldn't know." Tom gave a little smirk, "I told her that he would know when we got back…but I didn't mean it."  
  
"Tom…"  
  
"When we first go stranded out in the Delta Quadrant and I thought I would never see my Dad again…I was happy… I knew my Mom and my sisters would miss me but I thought the Admiral would be happy because I wouldn't be around to embarrass him again."  
  
"Tom you know that's not true…your father missed you a lot."  
  
Tom smiled at his wife. "I know…. I just think it took me a while to figure that out…Sometimes I think it took being stranded in the Delta Quadrant for seven years to really help me to become the man I always wanted to be…I often wonder if I did get released for the penal colony when I was suppose to what my life would of been like."  
  
B'Elanna smiled, "I think we all changed a lot in the last seven years…I know I would of never been given a chance to become chief engineer of a Federation starship if it wasn't for the Caretaker." B'Elanna kissed Tom on the cheek, "Why don't you take Miral into the living room and I'll bring your breakfast in."  
  
"What's for breakfast?"  
  
"Your favorite peanut butter on toast…now shoo."  
  
Tom kissed his wife on the cheek and said, "Yes ma'am." He then took Miral out of the high chair and said, "Come on Sweetie…let's play in the living room."  
  
Tom was putting Miral down for her afternoon nap when he heard the doorbell ring. He heard B'Elanna say, "I'll get it." He finished tucking Miral in her crib and he kissed her forehead ridges, which always made her giggle. He smiled at her , "Miral have a nice nap…Daddy will see you later."  
  
Tom walked into the living room and saw that B'Elanna and Owen were talking about something in very low voices. He smirked and was more then ever convinced that his wife was plotting some sort of birthday surprise. Tom coughed and said, "Hey Dad."  
  
Both Owen and B'Elanna turned as one and gave him crooked smiles. Owen walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Happy birthday, son."  
  
Tom returned the hug. "Thanks Dad… .so where are we going for lunch?"  
  
"I'm taking you to the officer's club at Starfleet command…I don't think you have been there since you got back."  
  
"I haven't."  
  
B'Elanna smiled and gave Tom a kiss on the cheek. "I hope you both have a good time."  
  
Tom smiled, "B'Elanna are you sure you don't want to come with us…I can always comm my Mom to baby-sit."  
  
Quickly Owen said, "She can't…your mother is a little under the weather today."  
  
B'Elanna added, "Yeah…I talked to her this morning…she has a really bad cold…She wouldn't want to get Miral sick."  
  
Tom nodded. "Okay…I'll see you later then."  
  
Ten minutes later Owen Paris parked his shuttle in front of the officer's club. Tom followed his father out of the shuttle and to the club. Right away they were shown to a table. Their waitress appeared and they both ordered a beer.  
  
Owen looked at Tom and smiled. "So how has your first birthday back on Earth been so far?"  
  
"Pretty good so far." Tom frowned. " My last birthday on Earth I spent in solitary confinement at New Zealand for getting into a fight."  
  
"Tom…I'm sorry. "  
  
"It's okay Dad…I had some pretty good birthdays on Voyager over the last seven years."  
  
"B'Elanna told your mother that Neelix made sure that he cooked every crew member something special for their birthday."  
  
Tom smirked. "He did…all his meals weren't the greatest but he so did try hard…Unfortunately I never did acquire a taste for Leola root."  
  
"You know from the time Voyager was declared lost your mother, sister, and I celebrated your birthday."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yes…we use to get together for dinner and talk about you…Your mother even convinced me to attend some of the Voyager family support group meetings."  
  
Tom smiled. "Momtold me about those meetings…that's where she met Harry's parents."  
  
The waitress came to the table holding a tray with two mugs of beer on it. She placed the beer on the table and left.  
  
Owen looked at his son and said, "Tom do you remember the first time I took you here?"  
  
"Yeah…it was on my eighth birthday after you let my fly a real shuttle for the first time." Tom gave a small smile, "I remember I was so scared…I had such a hard time keeping the shuttle straight."  
  
"Yes…but you did it…I was so proud of you…You flew better then a lot of the first year cadets."  
  
Tom frowned, "You never said…you were proud of me…The first time I ever heard you say you were proud of me was when the pathfinder contacted Voyager."  
  
Owen gave a little grimace. "I know that Tom…You had all these natural abilities when it came to flying…I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed that a little boy could control a shuttle like a Starfleet cadet…I guess I didn't tell you how good you were because I didn't want you to get a swelled head…your were such a natural when it came to piloting but you still had a lot to learn."  
  
Just then a waitress came by with their beers and placed the drinks next to them and left. Tom took a sip and said a little angrily, "I know…you constantly told me about everything I did wrong."  
  
Owen took a deep breath and the said, "I know that son…your mother and sisters said that I treated more like a Starfleet cadet then a son…but I always had you best interest at heart."  
  
Tom gave a little smile and said, "I know that and I have to admit I did rebel a lot during my teenage years…I can't blame you for disowning my after Caldik Prime…what I did was really stupid…I should of came forward right away."  
  
Owen looked his son in the eye and said, "You right…you should of came forward right away…but I could of listened more instead of just yelling…I still regret some of the things I said to you that day."  
  
"Me too Dad…I never wanted you to hate me."  
  
Owen smiled, "Tom I never hated you…I may get mad at you…but I could never hate you…Tom you're my son and no matter what you do I will always care about you…you will always be my boy."  
  
Tom smiled holding back tears of joy. "Thanks Dad…I feel the same way."  
  
The waitress returned holding a flat round covered dish. The waitress put the dish down and left the table. Tom looked at the dish "Dad…we haven't ordered yet."  
  
Owen smirked, "I pre-ordered something…I hope you like it."  
  
Tom lifted the cover and smiled. "Pepperoni and olive pizza."  
  
"Son it's you birthday…you should have one of your favorites."  
  
Forty-five minutes later as Tom and Owen finished eating their chocolate cake the waitress came back with a wrapped present and handed it to Owen and left.  
  
Tom looked at the package and smiled, "Dad…this lunch was enough…You didn't have to buy me a present."  
  
Owen handed Tom the present and said, "Open it…that's an order."  
  
Tom took the package and said, "Yes, sir." Tom slowly took the wrapping off and gaped when he saw an old fashioned hard-covered novel which cover had the words Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea printed on it.  
  
"Dad…where did you get this…They haven't printed books like this in over 500 hundred years."  
  
Owen smiled, "Let's just say I called in a few favors…open the book.". Tom opened the cover and read the inscription inside which said:  
  
Dear Tom,  
  
May you always dream about the sea.  
  
Love Dad  
  
"Dad…I don't what to say."  
  
"How about thank you?"  
  
"Thanks Dad."  
  
Owen looked at his chronometer and said, "Son we better get going."  
  
"Okay Dad…I know B'Elanna is planning something and I know you and Mom know what it is."  
  
Owen smiled, "Sorry son…I'm sworn to secrecy."  
  
Owen walked Tom to his door. "Hey Dad… why don't you come in….you can say goodnight to B'Elanna and Miral."  
  
Owen smiled, "Sure, son."  
  
Tom pressed in the code and the door opened. The living room was dark. "I guess B'Elanna is not home yet…Lights."  
  
Just then a loud group of voices yelled, "Surprise."  
  
Tom gasped. He saw B'Elanna standing in the middle of a crowd of people holding Miral. In the crowd Tom saw his Mother and his sisters and their families. He also saw Captain…Admiral Janeway standing next to Captain Chakotay. Next to them stood Harry and Libby. Tom also saw Reg Barclay in the crowd and a number of Captains and Admirals he had known since childhood.  
  
Before he could say anything he felt B'Elanna in his arms. "Happy birthday, Tom."  
  
Tom laughed. "I knew you were up to something…I just didn't expect this."  
  
Just then the EMH came to Tom and handed his a glass of wine. "Happy birthday. Mr. Paris."  
  
"Doc…how did they convince you to come?"  
  
"I didn't want you to suffer a medical problem from the shock of a surprise party."  
  
Tom laughed. "Thanks Doc."  
  
Harry walked up to him and said, "Hey buddy…speech."  
  
Tom lifted his glass of wine and said, "I want to thank everyone for coming….I want to especially thank my sneaky wife…"  
  
B'Elanna said in a soft voice, "Miral is spending the night with your parents…The rest of your present I'm saving for later.".;  
Tom blushed and then cleared his voice. The people around gave soft chuckles. "I also want to thank my Dad for keeping my distracted…When Voyager was first stranded in the Delta Quadrant most of the crew missed their families a lot so we sort of became a surrogate family by default…but I didn't realize that I still had a family on Earth that even though I did a made a lot of mistakes in the past they still cared about me…they still loved me…I'm a very lucky man…not only do I have a beautiful wife and daughter I adore…I have two families…I have my birth family and I have my Voyager family…as an old time baseball player said I'm the luckiest man on the face of this earth.…or I guess you can say in the universe…Thank you everyone for coming."  
  
Everyone applauded. Tom gave B'Elanna a long passionate kiss, when they broke free for air Tom smiled at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Paris."  
  
B'Elanna seeing the joy in her husband's eyes said, "Your welcome Mr. Torres…Now lets have some cake." 


End file.
